Current Affairs This Week (05-08-2018)

Meena Kumari (1 August 1933– 31 March 1972)Born Mahjabeen Bano, was an Indian film actress, singer and poet under the pseudonym “Naaz”. Popularly known as The Tragedy Queen, she is also called Female Guru Dutt of Hindi films and is often remembered as the Cinderella of Indian films.

Govt. plans ‘ISRO-like’ ocean missionISRO in designing and launching satellites, the Centre has drawn up a five-year, ₹8,000 crore plan to explore the deep recesses of the ocean.The Union Earth Sciences Ministry — tasked with coordinating the exercise — unveiled a blueprint of the ‘Deep Ocean Mission’

Identify rare bloodgroup ‘P null’ phenotype
Samples were referred to the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL), Bristol, U.K., for serological test.
A team of doctors, led by Shamee Shastry from the Blood Bank of Kasturba Medical College (KMC) here, has identified a rare blood group called “pp” or “P null” phenotype.

Floating islands of promise in Hauz Khas lakeDozens of floating islands have popped up across the Hauz Khas lake over the last few months.These 2×2-metre green patches on the lake are floating on discarded plastic bottles. These artificial lakes are designed to soak up the lake’s pollutants and not add to it,as would be the popular guess.

The citizenry test: Assam NRC explained
NRC process will address the issue of illegal migrants, specifically from Bangladesh. The National Register of Citizens was first published in 1951 to record citizens, their houses and holdings. Updating the NRC to root out foreigners was a demand during the Assam Agitation (1979-1985)

Chennai Metro to have all-women-run station soon
Women are more efficient and much more responsible. We think this will be a great move and give a major boost to women employees. It may now seem like a trivial step, but moves like these play a great role in creating a larger impact

Mars appears closest to Earth for the first time in 15 years
Mars and Earth will be closest to each other July 31 for the first time in 15 years since their historically close approach in 2003. Mars will be at a distance of 35.8 million miles from Earth. Mars reaches its highest point around midnight — about 35 degrees.

Zimbabweans vote in first post-Mugabe election
Zimbabweans voted on July 30th in the first election since former President Robert Mugabe was ousted in a de facto coup, with allegations of voter suppression raising fears of a disputed result.

July 29: International Tiger Day
Every year, July 29 is celebrated as the Global Tiger Day to raise awareness about the endangered big cats. It was created when 13 countries came together in 2009 and pledged to double the world’s Tiger population by 2022 — the next “Year of the Tiger” on the Asian lunar calendar.

Rajasthan first State to implement biofuel policy
first State in the country to implement the national policy on biofuels unveiled by the Centre in May this year. The desert State will lay emphasis on increasing production of oilseeds and establish a Centre for Excellence in Udaipur to promote research in the fields of alternative fuels and energy resources.

Akshay Venkatesh gets prestigious Fields Medal
He is one of four winners of mathematics’ top honour known as the Nobel prize for math.Akshay Venkatesh, a renowned Indian-Australian mathematician, is one of four winners of mathematics’ prestigious Fields medal, known as the Nobel prize for math.

High-resolution Earth observation satellite to monitor BRI
China successfully launched an optical remote sensing satellite, as part of its high-resolution Earth observation project which will also provide data for the Belt and Road Initiative, official media reported.

How Zika virus causes microcephaly
The E protein in Zika virus is mutated and very different from the envelop protein of other flaviviruses such as dengue, West Nilevirus, yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis.National Brain Research Centre-led team of researchers has successfully identified the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which Zika virus causes microcephaly.

NASA’s new planet hunting probe, TESS, begins operationsNASA’s latest planet hunting probe – the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) – has started its search for new worlds around nearby stars.TESS is expected to transmit its first series of science data back to Earth in August.

NASA: first space flights on commercial spacecraft
The space agency has announced that the nine astronauts will launch on the first crewed test flights and missions of new commercial spacecraft built and operated by The Boeing Company and SpaceX.
Indian-origin U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams is among the nine astronauts named by NASA

July 31: World Rangers Day
To remember and appreciate the crucial services rendered by rangers who protect, conserve and preserve the biodiversity of our forests at the cost of their lives. The day also commemorates all the selfless men and women who lost their lives protecting defenseless animals against human greed in the line of duty.

First ‘Nepal-India Think Tank’ Summit held in Kathmandu
To foster greater collaboration and knowledge-sharing among the think tanks of the two countries was held in Kathmandu today. The participants including think tanks, policy makers, diplomats, academicians, businesspersons and journalists deliberated on the Indo-Nepal ties and its dimensions in different sessions.

Rajasthan:1st Cow Sanctuary, As Tourist SpotThe Rajasthan government has allotted 320.42 acres of land to Mohanlal Buladevi Ojha Gaushala, a private trust, to develop the first cow sanctuary of the country in Napasar in Bikaner district, said Ashok Vij, joint Director, Animal Husbandry, Bikaner.

Teen 1st Asian to swim UK-France channel
A city college student, Prabhat Koli (19), who crossed the English Channel when he was 16, has become the first Asian to swim the choppy water from Jersey (an Island in the UK) to France in cold weather. The long-distance sea swimmer covered 25km in 6 hours and 54 minutes.